A Trust Unclean – Parturition (Review)

A Trust Unclean are a death metal band from the UK and this is their latest EP.

Look at that album cover. Go on, take a good look. Now, how could you not want to listen to anything that has that adorning it?

Anyway, if that didn’t make an impression, then the music should. This is technical death metal with a lot of modern groove and deathcore going on.

Apparently an EP; this has 8 tracks on it lasting 30 minutes, which is longer than some albums, but why quibble over definitions, eh? Whatever it is, it crushes that’s for sure.

Across its playing time the band demonstrate their passionate brand of modern extremity with great aplomb. There’s also a decent amount of variety on offer for something like this, all working within their self-set stylistic parameters. The melodic, technical, brutal, and slamming styles of death metal are all represented at various points, as well as deathcore and djent elements to add to their overall modern sheen.

There are some interesting musical flourishes and ideas spread throughout these tracks too, including electronic enhancements, atmospheric synths, and some quite orchestral keyboards.

The songs are brutal, very heavy, and technically proficient. They’re also well-written, showing an understanding of the modern format, while still incorporating enough of an influence from the timeless style of death metal to stop them from becoming over-polished or sanitised.

Vocally we get a diverse selection of screams, shouts, and growls. All of them are performed really well, but I can’t help favouring the deep growls, (although the screams are just as good in many ways).

I really, really enjoyed this. As I’ve said before; come for the cover, stay for the music. A Trust Unclean are more inventive and creative than most that play this type of thing, and Parturition is a very impressive and enjoyable listen because of this.